Register of Deeds

Property Description

The Property Description office maintains over 38,722 (as of 1/1/2009) legal property descriptions, including owner name and address, and references to how they acquired the property. This is the fundamental backbone of the assessment role. In addition, the associated mapping of tax parcels is performed. Every deed that is recorded causes a change to the assessment roll.

Land Information

This office creates, compiles, maintains and distributes land information, which includes more than maps, but information associated with land in Ozaukee County. This office works with all county municipalities, State and Federal government, as well as the regional planning commission. The office is totally self-funded, by statute, through revenue generated specifically for this function collected through the Register of Deeds Office. No property levy is applied.

Here, listed are the projects and evaluation of this office for 2008:

1.     Oversee and maintain the county’s GIS System.  Correct and maintain the Parcel mapping for the County.  Assist the Sheriff’s department with developing an accurate base map to be utilized in E911 Dispatch.  Assist with the Development of the County GIS website for public access of the geographic data.  Develop additional data layers to be use in departments throughout the County, i.e. Highway, Planning and Land Use. 

2.     Accomplishments:

a.      Determined the accuracy level of the County parcel mapping and took steps to correct County-wide parcel mapping

b.     Determined the accuracy of the E911 road centerline data, identified the areas in which were causing locating problems within the Computer Aided Dispatch system.  Worked with contracted vendor to begin the clean-up of the data

c.      Assisted the County in claiming as much of the $489,000 wireless 911 grants funds which were applied for in 2005 and bringing those funds back to the County. 

d.     Established the County/Municipality Consortium to utilizes resources and data-sharing throughout the County

e.      Began the implementation of a new software program for the website design of the County GIS website which will allow easier maintenance and updating of the website

f.       Implemented Geographic Information System software which enables multiple editors and multiple viewers of the County geographic information and data sets. 

3.     Goals:

a.      Implement the County GIS website and

b.     Complete the QA/QC and corrections to the County parcel Mapping dataset

c.      Import newly created accurate road centerline data into the Sheriff’s Department CAD system and become fully compliant with Phase 2 wireless call location.

d.     Continue with the County/Municipal Consortium to share the County Website, data and knowledge with the local municipalities. 

e.      Begin the development of the data layers needed by other departments, such as Planning and Land Use Management. 

4.     Strengths

a.      Dedication

b.     Knowledge

c.      “out-side of the Box” thinking

d.     Active participating member of the WLIA (President 2009)

5.     Barriers with performance

a.      Staff to assist with the development and correction of the County Datasets

b.     Computer and/or networking problems which slow the data creation process

c.      Many high-priority projects going on simultaneously i.e. website, parcel mapping, CAD mapping, Presidency of the WLIA.

Internet Development

This function of the office not only develops and maintains the Ozaukee County website, but also develops and maintains websites for the following:

1. City of Port Washington *

2. Milwaukee Audubon Society *

3. Ozaukee Chorus *

4. Ozaukee County 4-H *

5. Ozaukee County Historical Society *

6. Ozaukee Interurban Trail *

7. Ozaukee Tourism *

8. Ozaukee/Washington Collective Bargaining Agreements *

9. Town of Belgium *

10. Town of Fredonia *

11. Ulao Creek Partnership *

12. Village of Belgium *

13. Village of Fredonia *

14. Village of Newburg *

15. Village of Saukville assist with

16. Wisconsin Association of County Officers *

17. Wisconsin County Treasurers' Association *

18. Wisconsin Real Property Listers Association *

19. Wisconsin Register of Deeds Association *

This facet of the office continues to grow each year. Also part of this function is photography and many of the photos on this website (click here) and on the City of Port Washington (click here) have been taken over the years